The wildlife and flora of Greenland is quite unique. Narsaq is characterised by its mild climate. Naturally, this has an influence on which animals live here and which plants grow here.
 
In many ways, South Greenland has been altered and deeply influenced by the "import" of sheep. It began with the Norse bringing sheep and other livestock with them. Due to the mild climate, they could grow different sorts of crops and grass to feed the sheep, cows and horses. Many hundred years of grassing means that some bushes and plants have not been able to grow in many places. In this way, the landscapes near the farms have been shaped by human hand for more than a thousand years. This has lead to meadows and large fields free of stones, some removed by the Norse and the remaining removed by the Greenlandic sheep farmers.
 

If you fly to South Greenland, you will land in Narsarsuaq. The moment you step out in the fresh air and see the hillsides there will be no doubt in your mind why Eric the Red choose the name Greenland. No matter where you look, the green and brown colours of the birch and willow scrub will greet you. This lush vegetation is home for a rich birdlife, foxes and hares as well as sheep and horses at the farms.
 
In August the berries will ripen and the Greenlanders are out gathering the berries for marmalade and all kinds of desserts. Several of the plants are used as spices in cooking. Thyme is for example a very popular ingredient in cooked salmon and roasted lamb.
Some people use the herbs and spices to give snaps a Greenlandic touch. In the old days, the leaves of the Qajaasaq (Ledum groenlandicum) were used as medicine against all kinds of diseases (Qajaasaq means "the kayak-looking", easily understood when holding the leaves in your hand).
 
South Greenland is the only place in Greenland where you can find something resembling a forest. Since the turn of the century, many attempts have been made to grow different sorts of trees. You can see small trees scattered around the green fjords of South Greenland that might seem out of place because they are actually planted there. A natural tree that can be found along the southern parts of the west coast is the birch. In some places, it can grow as high as 3-4 meters.
The most common plant in Greenland is the crowberry. Its black and tasty berries were used as an important vitamin supplement in the old days and today the berries are mainly eaten with cream and sugar or on ice cream desserts. Whenever we make a fire in the open, the twigs of the crowberry are used as firewood. These twigs produce a thick and aromatic smoke, which is perfect for smoked salmon or meat.
 
The national flower of Greenland is "Niviarsiaq" which means "little girl" in Greenlandic. It is a willow herb (Chamaenerion latifolium). You will find it all over Greenland with its characteristic red petals and green leafs, which can be eaten either raw or boiled.
 

As the landscape varies from South to North Greenland, so does the animal life. We have sheep in South Greenland and huskies in the North.
 
Seals
There are five seal species in Greenland, though only three are common. These are the Ringed Seal (Phoca Hispida), the Harp Seal (Phoca Groenlandica), and the Hooded Seal (Cystophora Cristata). Two other species live in the Greenlandic waters as well, but are very rare. They are the Bearded Seal (Erignatus Barbatus) and the Harbour Seal/Common Seal (Phoca Vitulina).
For many years, seal furs had a bad reputation in the western world. This was due to misleading campaigns from several environmental groups in both the States and Europe. People in the west got the idea that Greenland took part in the killings of the baby seals. Actually, Greenland has never killed baby seals. Seals are killed for the meat and there is not much meat on a baby seal. Finally, most seals give birth at the ice outside New Foundland and the Greenland Sea (near Spitzbergen), so Greenlandic hunters are nowhere near the baby seals.
 
Reindeer
There have been reindeer in Greenland for thousands of years. It was actually those (and musk ox's) that our forefathers were following from Canada when they first came to our beautiful country. The reindeer come in cycles. They die out in some parts of the country due to the climate changes. Some years, there are thousands and thousands of reindeer and other years there are only a few.
 
Whales
Another significant mammal of Greenland is the whale. Whales and whaling have had a big impact on Greenlandic nature and culture. Whalers from the Netherlands, Spain and Norway came to Greenland more than 300 years ago to hunt the whales. Their contributions to Greenlandic culture were polka and beads.
Meat and blubber were and still is the most important yield from the whales for the Grenlanders. As an indigenous people, the Greenlanders have been allowed to catch a certain quota of whales each year - and only of those species that are not endangered. These quotas have been laid down in close co-operation with the Government of Greenlandic and the IWC (International Whale Commission).
 
The Greenlandic White-tailed Eagle
A very common bird in South Greenland is the White-tailed Eagle. With its majestic wings it is often seen gliding across the sky.
Only 20-30 years ago hunters and especially sheep-farmers were hunting the White-tailed Eagle, as they thought the eagle took their lambs. Luckily, the White-tailed Eagle is preserved today, as research of the habitat and then an extensive campaign was launched to make people understand that the eagle mainly lives from fish and carcasses.
 
Today it brings out a feeling of pride in the local population whenever a White-tailed Eagle is spotted in the sky and the existence of the White-tailed Eagle looks brighter than ever.
 
The nature of Greenland is very complex and under great influence from human touch, not just by Greenlandic population but just as much (or even more) the nature is influenced by the industries in Europe and North America.